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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · bore · tear · fine · nail · fan · drill · band

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. key — the most important part
  5. tear — from crying
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fine — all right
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bore — to drill
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. tear — from crying
  15. band — a ring
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. key — in music
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. key — for a lock
  21. band — a music group
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. drill — army training

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com